Coventry taxi driver accused of raping five women who owed moneyA COVENTRY taxi driver has gone on trial accused of raping five women.
Black cab driver John Naul, 63, is alleged to have carried out the attacks over a seven-year period, Coventry Crown Court was told.
At least one of the alleged attacks took place in the back of his taxi at a secluded spot near Coombe Abbey.
His victims were all said to be prostitutes working in the city.
Naul, of St Austell Road, Wyken, forced them to have degrading sex because they owed him money, a jury was told.
He denies any wrongdoing – claiming the women had agreed to let him carry out a certain act if they failed to pay up in time.
Opening the case for the prosecution yesterday, Peter Arnold told the jury: “Between 2003 and 2010, in the Coventry area, he raped five prostitutes and on two of the victims has performed other illegal sexual acts.
“The evidence suggests he was in a position of some control or power over these women, and that he derived some sadistic and sexual pleasure from inflicting these sexual acts upon them.”
The barrister said the first alleged attack happened in the back of Naul’s London-style cab on a secluded track near Coombe Abbey in April 2003.
He is alleged to have indecently assaulted her twice and raped her twice at knifepoint.
At a flat in Bell Green sometime between January 2005 and December 2006 he is alleged to have raped another prostitute and forced her to engage in sexual activity.
Between January 2009 and December 2010 Naul is accused of raping a third prostitute, again near Coombe Abbey.
And on October 26 last year, Naul is said to have raped a fourth prostitute at a house in Coronation Road, Hillfields, and a fifth prostitute at a house in Miles Meadow, Bell Green, on the same day.
Naul denies all the charges.
Mr Arnold said matters came to light in February this year after the fourth alleged victim finally went to the police.
After Naul was arrested three more working girls came forward to make rape allegations against him.
Detectives then discovered similar allegations had been made against him by another prostitute in 2003.
Mr Arnold said Naul told police he often paid the women for sex but had an agreement with certain terms and conditions if they failed to pay back money he had lent them for drugs.
Giving evidence, the first alleged victim said Naul attacked her at knifepoint in the back of his cab because she did not have his £20.
She said she escaped when another car came down the track: “I ran for my dear life after this car.”
She got into the car and was given a lift back to Coventry.
During cross-examination, defence barrister Steven Redmond suggested the woman’s memory had faded over the past eight-and-a-half years.
In response, she said: “I remember a lot of it like a video in my mind.”
Mr Redmond also highlighted her “many” previous convictions from 1993 to 2007, including 13 for theft.
The trial continues on Monday.
Source:
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/
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